"NEWS: @lspraggan is just too unwell to perform on tonight's #xfactor," tweeted the official X Factor account, before adding: "Lucy will proceed to next weekend's show as happened with @diana_music [past contestant Diana Vickers]."

Vickers was issued a bye during the fifth week of the 2008 series after suffering with laryngitis. As a result, she was not subjected to the public vote and automatically progressed to the sixth round of the competition.